Device for handling cakes of ice and delivering same in comminuted form



Jan. 27, 1948.

F. w. BRADY 2,435,030 DEVICE FOR HANDLING CAKES OF ICE AND DELIVERING SAME IN COMMINUTED FORM Filed Oct. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Frank Brady BY I '2 gwafi ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1948. F. WQBRADY 2,435,030

DEVICE FOR HANDLING CAKES OF ICE AND DELIVERING SAME IN COMMINUTED FORM Filed Oct. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7/ 6; 69 6 5 68 74 V I l I IN VEN TOR.

f: ig 6 I Frahk 14/ Brady L I l,

A TTORNEY ing down past the drum, fall into the bladed impeller means.

To provide for the forceful feed of blocks of ice to the ice-breaker drum, spaced transverse shafts 3| and 32 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) are suitably mounted upon frame 6 and pairs of sprockets 33 and 34 are respectively provided upon the shafts 3 and 32. Shaft 3| is positively driven by a sprocket 36 on one end of the shaft and about which a chain 31 is extended from a gear 38 carried upon a shaft 39 in a speed change device indicated generally by numeral 4|. electric motor 42 is mounted upon an upper portion of the casing 5, a sprocket 43 being provided upon motor shaft 44 and driving a sprocket 46 by a chain 41, sprocket 46 being carried upon a shaft 48 in the speed change device 4|. A chain is extended about each of the sprocket pairs 33 and 34, each chain preferably carrying a plurality of spaced lugs 52 thereon to engage and force onward positively toward the ice-breaking drum .a cake of ice positioned upon and supported by chains 5|. V

In operation, the chains 5| are advanced toward the ice-breaker drum at such a rate of speed that a cake of ice, confined between extended transverse walls 50, is forced into the drum positively so that-it is always maintained in contact with the drum through opening 25 in the casing 5 and so that the drum is constantly working to abrade and comminute the ice cake. 'Particles of ice broken from the cake of ice are forcefully batted about between the ice-breaker drum, its several projecting teeth and easing 5 until they are of a fineness sufficient to permit them to fall down into the casing 23 and the bladed impeller means which, rotating at the same speed with the ice-breaker drum, forces them on positively until they are discharged through the tangential outlet 21 into the flexible hose 28.

The use of the lugs on the chains 5| is not absolutely essential although I preferthem since they provide for a more positive feed into the icebreaker drum. v

In that form of device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, it is intended that the usual, substantially rectangular cake of ice be fed with one of the narrow sides on the chains 5| so that the ice cake extends vertically for a considerable distance above the chains 5|. If desired, however, an icebreaker drum I8 of less height can be employed if the ice cake is fed in while it is lying upon one of its flat major sides, in which case, the drum It should be made of a greater diameter.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6, I haveshown another form of the device and more particularly a form of ice cake feeder suited to receive a cake of ice from the level of floor 6| and deliver it positively to the drum. In this form of feeder shafts 62, 63 and 64 are positioned vertically on frame 6 in suitable bearings and along one side of a feed chute structure 66. Shaft 63 is driven from shaft H by V-belts 65 passed about pulley 67 on shaft H and pulley 68 on shaft 63. Chain 6915 passed about sprockets H and 12 on shafts 62 and 63 and chain I4 is passed about sprockets 73 and 75 on shafts 63 and 64 to drive shafts 62 and 64 from shaft 63. V

A plurality of toothed feeder sprockets 16 are mounted on each shaft 62, 63 and 64 to engage and move toward the ice-breaker drum a cake of ice fed in against the sprockets. An angularly positioned feeder plate 11 extends upwardly from 4 the floor to raise an ice cake as it is moved by the sprockets.

To force the ice block against the feed sprockets, a plurality of rollers 8| are provided and are biased by springs 82 to force an ice cake against the feed sprockets, the roller being suitably supported on frame 6 for rotation and for sliding toward and away from sprocket 16 so that, as a cake of ice is fed, it is held against the feed sprockets. It will be recalled that a, cake of ice is frequently made by freezing water in a can which tapers from the top to the bottom so the ice can be drawn readily from the can after the water has frozen.

From the foregoing, I believe it will be apparent that I have provided a novel and improved form of ice feeder and crusher capable of converting cake ice into snow ice and delivering the latter, as. formed, in a continuous stream at a distant point.

I claim:

1. A machine for converting a block of ice into finely divided particles and for discharging said particles in a substantially continuous stream through'a hose, said machine comprising a substantially vertical shaft. an icebreaker drum having ice breaking means thereon and mounted on said shaft along an upper portion of the shaft, bladed impeller means mounted on a lower portion of said shaft below said drum to receive ice particles from said drum, a first casing surrounding said drum and having a vertical opening along one side thereof, a pair of spaced conveyor chains extending substantially horizontally and adapted to support a cake of ice, means for moving said chains toward said drum to feed a cake of ice supported on said chains into positive ice breaking engagement with that portion of said drum, exposed through the opening in said first casing, and a second casing circular in cross-section surrounding said bladed impeller means and immediately below the first casing and having a tangential outlet therefrom for ice particles.

2. A machine for converting a block of ice into finely divided particles and for discharging said particles in a substantially continuous stream through a hose, said machine comprising a substantially vertical shaft, an ice breaker drum having ice breaking means thereon and mounted on said shaft along an upper portion of the shaft, bladed impeller means mounted on a lower portion of said shaft below said drum to receive ice particles from said drum, a first casing of'substantially rectangular cross-section surrounding said drum and having a vertical opening along one side thereof, a pair of spaced conveyor chains extending substantially horizontally and adapted to support a cake of ice, means for moving said chains toward said drum to feed a cake of ice supported on said chains into positive ice breaking engagement with that portion of said drum, exposed through the opening in said first casing,

and a second casing circular in cross-section surbladed impeller means mounted on a lower portion of saidshaft below said drum to receive ice particles from said drum, a first casing surrounding said drum and having a vertical opening along one side thereof, an inlet member leading to said opening in the first casing from a floor level, a plurality of spaced shafts extending vertically and spaced along said inlet member, feed sprockets on each of said plurality of vertical shafts, means for rotating said shafts in a timed relation with said ice breaker drum, means for forcing an ice cake sliding over said inlet member to engage said sprockets, and a second casing circular in cross-section surrounding said bladed impeller means and immediately below the first casing and having a tangential outlet therefrom for ice particles.

4. A machine for converting a block of ice into finely divided particles and for discharging said particles in a substantially continuous stream through a hose, said machine comprising a substantially vertical haft, an ice breaker drum having ice breaking means thereon and mounted on said shaft along an upper portion of the shaft, bladed impeller means mounted on a lower portion of said shaft below said drum to receive ice particles from said drum, a first casing surrounding said drum and having a vertical opening along one side thereof, an inlet member leading to said opening in the first casing from a floor level, a plurality of spaced shafts extending vertically and spaced along said inlet member, feed sprockets on each of said plurality of vertical shafts, means for rotating said shafts in a timed relation with said ice breaker drum, a plurality of spaced rollers opposite said shafts and biased toward said feed sprockets for forcing an ice cake sliding over said inlet member to engage said sprockets, and a second casing circular in crosssection surrounding said bladed impeller means and immediately below the first casing and having a tangential outlet therefrom for ice particles.

FRANK W. BRADY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,108,373 Kelly et a1 Aug. 25, 1914 1,289,004 Rosenthal Dec. 24, 1918 1,558,502 POWer Oct. 27, 1925 2,081,001 Coscia May 18, 1937 2,114,557 Davis Apr. 19, 1938 2,136,214 Kieth Nov, 8, 1938 

